I’m running behind!

By James Scott Camplin

I’m running behind! Why am I running behind? No one ever asks that question. But really, why am I running behind? I think I have a reason. Look at your digital clock. Suppose that it reads 10:02 or 10:02:38. The 10 will remain 10 until 10:59 or 10:59:59. It is soothing and relaxing to know that no matter what, it is 10 until it is 11. Ohmigawd is it really 11? Yes, and it has been rapidly approaching since 10:30 or 10:29:59. But we never seem to notice the passage of time because it is always the hour number we notice and retain because we read it first. And in a good many instances, it is the number we want to believe because we can’t imagine ourselves running behind.

Now let’s look at the analogue clock. It’s a pie. It can be sliced and served in portions that don’t lie or give us false hope. The hands at 10 and 12 are without compromise. When it is 10:02 the minute hand has moved off 12 and has begun its journey towards 12 again. The hour hand has almost imperceptibly moved but it has moved as it no longer points to 10. And the sweep second hand is doing just that, it is sweeping its way round the crust of the pie. The minute hand is slowly but surely moving and if you watch carefully it does move but not with the majesty or assurance of the sweep second hand. There are also step second-hands that step second-by-second as do the numbers on the second read-out of the digital clock. Not at all dignified but marching on as time itself does. But not the digital 10. It remains steadfastly at 10 until, yikes! It’s 11!

As the digital clock registers 10:29:59 nothing changes except it becomes 10:30:00 and it is still the 10 hour. However, on the analogue clock we have now cut the pie in half and are beginning to devour the second half. In fact, we no longer refer to 10:35 but start to say 25 to 11. This gives a certain urgency to the time because the 10 no longer dominates. The 11 hour is rearing its head and demanding to be acknowledged. Maybe we are running late. Maybe we should pay attention. The seconds on the digital clock are racing headlong from 01 to 00 with all the energy and aimlessness of a gerbil on a wheel, but the regal 10 doesn’t notice until he is deposed by the usurper 11.

Meanwhile back at the analogue clock, we are pressed by the urgency with which the minute hand approaches 12, and the hour hand reaches 11, and the sweep second hand sweeps past the last 12 of the 10 hour and bursts into the eleventh hour. But we don’t notice because we’ve already left so we won’t be running late.